


What We Want to Say in the Dark

by TheRedGlass



Category: Star Trek: Voyager
Genre: Blood, Broken Bones, F/M, Ficlet, I so missed writing Voyager fic, J/C whump, Prompt Fill, Tumblr Prompt, Whump, j/c - Freeform, short fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-23
Updated: 2016-07-23
Packaged: 2018-07-26 07:15:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 528
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7565083
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheRedGlass/pseuds/TheRedGlass
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An accident leaves Kathryn and Chakotay trapped in a cave, Kathryn badly injured. She lets herself consider what could be.</p>
            </blockquote>





	What We Want to Say in the Dark

**Author's Note:**

> Just a little J/C otp prompt fill from my tumblr. The prompt was: “Looks like we’ll be trapped for a while…”

“Looks like we’ll be trapped for a while…”

Kathryn Janeway nodded slowly at her first officer’s announcement as he finished surveying the cave. They’d been traversing the underground caverns with the capitol city’s ambassador when the explosion had occurred. They were extremely lucky they hadn’t been killed. As it was, they were both soaked, covered in rubble, separated from the rest of their crew and the alien representatives, unable to communicate.

And Kathryn was fairly certain that her leg was broken, and if not, at least fractured. The pain was sharp and white-hot, radiating up her leg as she could feel warm blood further soaking the saturated fabric of her uniform. The only light in the sealed cave area came from the bio-luminescent ferns in a corner. Through that dim light, she was grateful to see that Chakotay was moving around without any apparent difficulty and seemed to have sustained only superficial injuries to one side of his face.

He finished his circuit of the small area and came back to kneel by her side. “May I look at that?” he asked, indicating her injured leg.

She nodded, watching with gratitude as he ever so carefully and gently examined the injured area. Part of her still couldn’t get over just how gracefully he moved, given that he was such a large man. She failed to bite back a hiss as he moved her leg ever so slightly.

“Sorry,” he apologized.

She shook her head. “Don’t worry about it.” She controlled her voice carefully. “How bad?”

“Broken,” he confirmed, his soft voice as always at odds with his mountain-like appearance. “But it looks like a clean break, and I should be able to stop the bleeding.”

She nodded her assent, gritting her teeth as he removed his uniform jacket and began tending to her wound. To distract herself from the pain, she allowed herself the usually forbidden indulgence of admiring the way Chakotay’s muscles moved under his clinging undershirt. Sometimes the burden of leadership hit home a little too hard - like many a night when she was lonely and knew that Chakotay was likely sitting alone in his quarters thinking the same thing, but she was unable to even consider allowing their relationship to become anything besides professional.

No matter how perfectly they went together, how deep their connection ran.

She kept herself from passing out through sheer willpower and was immensely grateful when Chakotay finished tying the makeshift bandage and came back to sit by her side.

“That should do it,” he said. “How’s your head?” he asked frowning through the dark, peering at her forehead. He raised a hand in questioning and she nodded.

“Little bit fuzzy,” she admitted. She was grateful for the dark that hid her sudden blush as his gentle hands roamed over her face. “But I don’t know if that’s from impact or -”

His thumb had suddenly brushed over her lower lip and they both stilled, aware it was less than intentional but more than an accident.

Chakotay seemed about to apologize so Kathryn spoke before he had a chance.

“-or something else,” she admitted softly. She didn’t move away from his touch.


End file.
